After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 179

Chapter 179

Elle’s POV

The car ride back to Moon Lake City felt like a funeral procession.

The conversation from the phone call echoed in my mind: Victoria wants Mira and me to pick her up

together.

Not me. Mira.

I glanced at Brad’s profile as he drove, his jaw tight with tension. His hands gripped the steering wheel so

hard his knuckles were white.

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We reached the villa in Moon Lake City, the convoy of vehicles pulling up to the in a cloud of dust and tension. Brad immediately started coordinating with Alex about the logistics of picking up his mother,

while I stood there feeling like an outsider.

“Elle.” Sophia appeared at my elbow, her face drawn with worry. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just tired.”

Sophia’s sharp eyes didn’t miss much. She could probably sense my distress even if I tried to hide it. “Brad’s taking Mira to the airport,” she said carefully.

“I know.” I watched as Brad and Mira walked toward one of the black SUVs, their heads bent together in conversation. “His mother requested it specifically.”

Sophia’s expression darkened. “That doesn’t mean anything, Elle. You know that, right?”

I said nothing, turning toward the house.

The villa felt different without Brad in it. Colder. Marth appeared with a warm smile, asking if I needed anything, but I just shook my head and made my way to the front entrance to wait.

Sophia stayed with me, settling into one of the chairs Martha brought out. In the distance, I could hear the sounds of the slam of car doors, the low rumble of engines.

“Elle, I have a bad feeling about this,” Sophia said, her voice barely above a whisper.

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Chapter 179

I looked at her.

“Victoria Rayne… She’s been abroad for six years. A werewolf mother who’s been isolated from her son’s life, who comes back to find him mated to a human…” She didn’t finish the sentence.

But she didn’t need to. I could fill in the blanks myself.

I thought about what Brad had told me about his mother’s obsession with bloodline purity, her disappointment when he hadn’t chosen a suitable werewolf mate. A woman like that wouldn’t exactly welcome a human mate with open arms.

“Maybe she’ll surprise us,” I said, but even I didn’t believe it.

Sophia gave me a look that said she didn’t believe it either.

We sat in tense silence for what felt like hours until finally, car lights appeared in the distance. My stomach clenched as the convoy approached.

I stood up, smoothing down my clothes and trying to arrange my face into something resembling

composure. This was it. The moment I’d been dreading since Brad first told me about his mother.

The first car pulled up directly in front of the entrance, and I held my breath as the doors opened.

Mira emerged first, and my heart sank. She was practically glowing with satisfaction, her arm still linked

with Brad’s as they helped someone out of the vehicle.

Then I saw her.

Victoria Rayne.

Even sitting in a wheelchair, she commanded attention. Her presence was overwhelming. Her eyes swept

the scene before landing on me, and I felt the full weight of her assessment.

I stepped forward, opening my mouth to offer a greeting, but the words died in my throat. The look she

gave me… it wasn’t just cold or dismissive. It was the look of a superior species examining something

inferior. Something unwanted.

“This is Elle West, the human Brad had to accept as his mate.” Mira said,

Victoria’s response was even worse. “I’ll be happy to see you have a pure-blood werewolf pup with Brad in

the future! A human could never be worthy of our bloodline.”

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Chapter 179

The words hung in the air like poison.

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I didn’t look at Brad. I couldn’t. Because I was afraid of what I might see in his eyes-agreement,

resignation, or worst of all, relief that someone else was finally saying what he’d been thinking all along.

The group moved toward the house, and I found myself trailing behind like an afterthought. In their world,

that’s exactly what I was. The human complication that needed to be dealt with.

Sophia tried to catch my arm, to offer support, but I was beyond comfort.

“Elle,” Brad said quietly, appearing at my elbow. “We need to talk.”

But before I could respond, Victoria’s voice cut through the air like a blade.

“Elle West,” she said, not even bothering to look at me directly. “Come here.”

It wasn’t a request.

Victoria wheeled herself toward the east wing of the house, away from where Brad was helping coordinate

luggage with the staff.

Victoria led me into a private study.

“Close the door,” she commanded.

My hands trembled slightly as I obeyed.

“Human,” she said finally, her voice flat and matter-of-fact. “You should know your place.”

The words hit like a slap. Not Elle. Not even Miss West. Just… human.

“My son’s lifelong partner can only be a pure-blood werewolf,” Victoria continued, her voice growing

stronger, more certain. “Mira Collins.”

The room seemed to tilt. I felt Sophia move closer, her protective presence the only thing keeping me upright.

“Brad is an Alpha who respects tradition,” Victoria said her eyes never leaving mine. “The she-wolf I chose for him, he won’t refuse. Mate bonds can be severed though ritual dissolution.”

Severed. The word echoed in my head like a gunshot.

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Chapter 179

‘I’ll give you twenty million,” she said casually. “Leave Moonshade Bay immediately.”

“However,” Victoria continued, “Rayne family bloodline annot be left outside the pack. The child must remain with the pack for proper cultivation.” Her cold eyes moved to my belly. “Mira will be responsible for raising the child.”

“I’m giving you money now, but you should move out of the werewolf areas,” Victoria said, her voice taking on a tone of finality. “Your presence here will interfere with Brad and Mira developing their relationship. Humans and werewolves shouldn’t have excessive contact anyway.”

Something inside me snapped.

I opened my eyes, feeling the strange calm that comes after the storm.

“Victoria Alpha Lady,” I said, my voice steady despite the fire burning in my chest. “I’m very sorry, but I don’t want your money.”

The shock on her face was almost worth everything I’d endured tonight.

Victoria’s eyes widened slightly. Clearly, she hadn’t expected resistance.

“I know you don’t like me as a human,” I said, my voice growing stronger. “But if I’m going to leave, please

have Brad tell me himself! ”

I took a step closer, feeling the power of my own conviction. “I, Elle West, may be just a human, but I have my own dignity. If I’m going to leave, I’ll leave with my head held high! Since you can make decisions for

Brad, then please have Brad personally tell me to dissolve our mate bond!”

The air in the room grew thick with tension. And I heard-

A low, rumbling growl that made every hair on my body stand on end.

Brad was standing in the doorway, and the fury rolling ff him was unlike anything I’d ever felt.

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After One Night with the Alpha